I am your run of the mill Nintendo/Playstaion game player. I have played computer games from time to time and as of late seem to be more interested in it. However, my son is the computer gamer in the family and back a few months ago he asked for the Microsoft Sidewinder Wheel to be one of his Christmas gifts. I really didn't know what it was. Well, I did but not so far as what it was really like. We bought it for him and as we did we wanted to have our heads examined for spending so much on something like this. We paid $180. for the Microsoft Sidewinder Wheel and I still am left wondering if we had lost out minds that day.

It has been only a few weeks ago that I decided to see what all the hype was about. I would sit in here on my computer and could hear the kids (and husband) laughing and threatening one another with crashes and such in the boys bedroom. I just blew it off, simply because they do that when playing the wrestling games for the Nintendo too. But curiosity got the better of me and I had to try it myself. BOY! What an experience it is. Spank me for not trying it sooner. It is a fun thing.

The Microsoft Sidewinder Wheel came with two software titles, one of which we already had. Those were: Monster Truck Madness 2 and CART precision racing. These titles were designed with force feedback in mind. I like the Monster Truck Madness 2 the best. I get into that sort of thing and watch it on Speedvision and have been to several monster truck arenas over the last few years. The last being held in Tulsa, Oklahoma last winter. It was a blast!

Microsoft Sidewinder Wheel is sturdy. I was afraid that my youngest son would tear it up. He tends to be too rough with things. Typical boy, I guess. But the Sidewinder is durable and it has a clamp that uses one bolt and can adjust to fit your desks thickness. Then the wheel can be removed pretty easy when not in use. It locks in place when you are using it.

The pedals are big. My son wears a size 12 shoe and his feet fit well on them. They are non-skid designed and don't move around while you are playing. You can use one or both feet at the same time and my youngest has no problem using the pedals either.

Sidewinder software also lets you create your own profile. It lets you decide how you want to use the wheel. For example, you can customize the keyboard to fit the 8 button commands on the force feed-back wheel. You can set your force feed-back strength as well. There is an off-on switch that lets you control the force feed back. An indicator light is present also. The Sidewinder has a 16-bit, 25Mhz force co-processor. Strong feed-back. It is air cooled and has no fans. This will allow the Sidewinder to last longer.

We did not have a problem when loading the software or driver. My son's computer loaded it immediately and found the driver with out incident. I understand that there are instances where some have had issues with loading the software. None here.

There are eight programmable buttons on the wheel including triggers and shifters. It also provides a digital optical encoding tracking system that allows for accurate steering control. In my experience I have found that the steering does not vary enough so you would notice. It is pretty much right on the money. The wheel is comfortable and your hands do not slip while steering. It has a rubber feel to the wheel which aids in grip and handling.

The feed-back is fast. I have not detected any delay in effects. Rounding corners, braking, and acceleration are all on time and thus gives it that extra feel for realism. I feel like a speed demon when using it.

I would also like to say that I find the best time to use the Sidewinder is at night, in the dark. Why? I get the feeling of real racing more in the night time than any other time. When you turn off all of the lights and sit in front of your screen that is all you see. The race cars or monster trucks and your competition. When you have nothing else distracting you through peripheral vision you can experience the ultimate race. I caution you though, this does cause severe eye strain, so please don't do that for too long.

System requirements for Microsoft Sidewinder are as follows:

Pentium 90 or higher---25 MB of disc space---quad speed CD ROM drive---16 MB of RAM---256 color capability monitor---Windows 95 or later---AND, Sound-Blaster-compatible audio card with MIDI.

The feed-back forces are only usable if you use games that have direct input API 5.0 and you will need a frames compatible browsers for the tutorials. If you wish to use them. I would like to add that the version my son has does include the USB connection.

I will also add this. The Microsoft Sidewinder Wheel was designed with input from professional race-car drivers. This wheel definitely provides you with a realistic feel for the speed, bumps, jolts, and turns that you would experience if you, yourself carried the last name of Petty! I highly recommend this to all racing fanatics or wanna be racers.










Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 180.00